Belonging to self: Flint women meeting needs, securing safety and finding voice

BACKGROUND: Belonging is a fundamental human need that influences health and well-being. Women's ability to belong to themselves is affected by structural disinvestment, environmental injustice, poverty and chronic precarity. Guided by the belongingness framework, this study explores solutions of women in the Flint area to increase "belonging to self," which encompasses basic needs, services, safety and autonomy. METHODS: Using a community-based participatory research approach, we interviewed 100 women and community representatives. In-depth interviews (Fall 2017-Spring 2018) explored strengths, needs, aspirations, and solutions. A team of community-academic pairs analyzed the data. RESULTS: Four interrelated themes emerged: Basic Needs, Services, Safety, and Autonomy. (1) Basic Needs included gaps in food, water, and housing, disproportionately affecting women with mental health or substance use challenges, domestic violence survivors, and pregnant women. (2) Services revealed deficits in childcare, maternal support, education, employment, healthcare, and transportation, often compounded by distrust and bureaucratic barriers. (3) Safety encompassed physical and emotional vulnerabilities limiting daily life. (4) Autonomy reflected the interplay of personal agency, relational dynamics, and structural constraints. Across themes, participants proposed community-rooted, trauma-informed solutions-including 24-hour childcare, mentorship, community gardens, skill-building, and peer support-to enhance well-being, equity, and women's ability to belong to themselves. CONCLUSION: Complex and interconnected factors shape women's experiences of belonging to oneself. Themes of basic needs, access to services, safety, and autonomy can frame pathways to health and wellbeing for women in challenging contexts. Despite limited access to opportunity, women shared collective strategies for survival, support, and reimagining their futures.